Wanderlust; a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.
I am obsessed with travel.
With a two year old and a 24 week old brewing, I am on a self imposed travel ban and am living vicariously through Pinterest.
I am a firm believer in travel as a creative leader, because it expands your horizons, challenges your beliefs and just generally makes you uncomfortable.
When was the last time you travelled to a place you have never been before?
When was the last time you sat on the floor of a family whose upbringing, beliefs and lives are completely foreign to you?
This is a proving ground for leadership development.
Add a few people as your traveling companions and your on your way to leadership 101.
10 thoughts about travel that make you a better leader.
1) The best innovation comes from the catalogue of vivid memories in your life. If you do the same thing every day, how can you collect new stories to innovate from?
2) Exposing yourself to new cultures, different thoughts, unusual customs and pressure, challenges your character in ways not much else in life does.
3) Despite the travel class (champagne or cattle), everyone stands at the luggage carousel and waits together. A lack of humility in leadership, is intensely challenged in luggage queues and customs lines.
4) Taste something you have never tasted before. Boring food palettes equal boring communicators. Leadership is Communication.
5) There is something about being stuck on a plane as a leader with no access to phones, internet or staff. You are forced to read, watch movies, meet new people or sleep. All things that leaders need plenty of.
6) Stories are created in the melting pot of tiredness, miscommunication and culture. Great stories equal a great leader.
7) Travel forces you to listen. Travel forces you to ask questions. Travel forces you to meet new people. All traits that busy leaders often struggle with.
8) Did I mention customs queues? Reminding us all that we are not in control of everything.
9) You are more likely to visit a museum, art gallery or read a new book in a different country. All spaces that develop and offer free thinking.
10) It is very important to break routine as a leader and find a fresh approach to those problems that remain unsolved.
As a leader if you cannot travel overseas at least wander around your own city with the eyes of a tourist.
These are just some of the reasons why I’m obsessed with driving new ways to places I go everyday and traveling to countries and places I have never been too before.
Speak tomorrow.
Amanda
